Firearms Used in the Commission of Crimes

OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL
-
CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
Firearms
Used in the Commission of Crimes
This report is available online at
http://oag.ca.gov/publications#crime
Division of Law Enforcement
Bureau of Forensic Services
(916) 322-6185
KAMALA D. HARRIS
ATTORNEY GENERAL
Table of Contents
Purpose . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Scope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Firearm Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Crimes of Violence Other than Homicide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Homicides . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Street Gang Crimes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Drug Trafficking Crimes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Special Cases . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
California Assault Weapons by Year . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
California Penal Code section 342001 requires that the Attorney General shall provide the
Legislature on or before April 15 of each year a written report on the specific types of firearms
used in the commission of crimes based upon information obtained from state and local crime
laboratories. The report shall include all of the following information regarding crimes in which
firearms were used:
a) A description of the relative occurrence of firearms most frequently used in
the commission of violent crimes, distinguishing whether the firearms used
were handguns, rifles, shotguns, assault weapons, or other related types of
weapons.
b) A description of specific types of firearms that are used in homicides or
street gang and drug trafficking crimes.
c) The frequency with which stolen firearms were used in the commission of
the crimes.
d) The frequency with which fully automatic firearms were used in the
commission of the crimes.
e) Any trends of importance such as those involving specialized ammunition or
firearms modifications, such as conversion to a fully automatic weapon,
removal of serial number, shortening of barrel, or use of a suppressor.
Pursuant to Penal Code section 34200, the Department of Justice (DOJ) produces this annual
report based on data obtained from state and local crime laboratories. Unfortunately, none of
the local crime laboratories provided data to the DOJ for inclusion in this year's report. As a
result, the 2014 annual report only includes data from DOJ crime laboratories, and tends to
focus on crimes committed in rural areas of California. Data from major cities, including those
crime laboratories that serve the urban and heavily populated areas of California, are not
included in this report.
During 2014, data collected from DOJ’s Bureau of Forensic Services (BFS) crime laboratories
revealed that 121 of the 444 completed examinations involved firearms that are qualified for
inclusion in this report. Small inconsistencies in data totals are artifacts of automatic data
extraction and data that may fit multiple categories.
1
Previously California Penal Code section 12039
1
Purpose
This report is prepared by the California Department of Justice, Bureau of Forensic Services
(BFS), for the Legislature as directed by California Penal Code section 34200. The report details
specific types of firearms used in the commission of various crimes.
Scope
This report includes firearms examined during 2014 in the BFS regional criminalistics
laboratories.
Because BFS principally serves the rural areas of California, the data in this report may not
represent gun-use trends within urban areas or within California as a whole.
Firearm Types (Figures 1 and 2)
The 121 qualifying firearms examined during the reporting period included 99 handguns (81.8
percent),14 rifles (11.6 percent), eight shotguns (6.6 percent), and no machine guns. Four
firearms (3.3 percent) were assault weapons (as defined in Pen. Code §§ 30510 and 30515)
and four firearms (3.3 percent) were classified as a short-barreled shotguns or rifles. The most
commonly encountered caliber was 9mm Luger, followed by 45 ACP and 40 S&W (see
Figure 2).
Firearms used in crimes, 121 firearms
6.6%
11.6%
HANDGUNS
RIFLES
SHOTGUNS
81.8%
Figure 1
2
Weapons by cartridge (caliber)
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
Figure 2
Crimes of Violence other than Homicide (Figure 3)
Seventy of the firearms examined were submitted in cases involving crimes of violence other
than homicide. These 70 firearms included 60 handguns (85.7 percent), eight rifles (11.4
percent), and two shotguns (2.9 percent).
Firearms used in crimes of violence (other than homicide), 70 firearms
2.9%
11.4%
HANDGUN
RIFLE
SHOTGUN
85.7%
Figure 3
3
Homicides (Figure 4)
The 46 firearms that were submitted in homicide cases included 35 handguns (76.1 percent),
five rifles (10.9 percent), and six shotguns (13.0 percent). There were no full auto firearms
linked to homicides.
Firearms used in homicides, 46 firearms
13.0%
HANDGUN
10.9%
RIFLE
SHOTGUN
76.1%
Figure 4
Street Gang Crimes
All nine firearms (7.4 percent of the total) identified as being related to street gang crimes were
handguns.
Drug Trafficking Crimes
Four firearms (3.3 percent of the total) identified as being used in drug trafficking crimes were
three handguns and one shotgun.
4
Special Cases
California Assault Weapons
Four firearms examined in 2014 were identified as California Assault Weapons (as
defined in Penal Code §§ 30510 and 30515) (see Figure 5).
Stolen Firearms
None of the firearms examined were confirmed to have been reported stolen. Ownership
status was not determined for many of the firearms examined.
Serial Numbers Removed
Six firearms were submitted with the serial numbers removed.
Full Auto Firearms (Machine Guns, Submachine Guns or Full Auto
Conversions
One full-auto firearm was examined this year.
Short Barreled Rifles or Shotguns
Four of the examined firearms were classified as short-barreled rifles or shotguns.
Officer-Involved Shooting Incidents
Sixteen firearms identified as being related to officer-involved shooting incidents were 11
handguns and five rifles.
Suppressors
No firearms equipped with suppressors (silencers) were examined this year.
No unusual ammunition
There was no reported use of armor piercing, exploding, frangible, Glazer-type,
incendiary or tracer ammunition.
5
California Assault Weapons by Year (Figure 5)
California assault weapon use has continued at a relatively low level since this annual report
commenced in 1998.
California Assault Weapons, by year
California Assault Weapons
Total Weapons Examined
218
175
173
146
116
106
142
147
119
119
134
105
121
82
8
6
1
4
6
8
0
8
8
9
5
6
2
4
2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014
Figure 5
6